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I don't get to drive my Model S

I don't get to drive my Model S

As a gesture of appreciation to all those that have entertained me and kept the anticipation high for delivery of my Model S I thought I would share a funny, but not to me, story.

Early on my wife was very supportive of reserving a Model S, which we did the day we test drove a Roadster almost 2 years ago. As the time to design the car came and we discussed the options, "negotiations" began to bog down. It was difficult for her to reconcile spending THAT much money on a car. My mind was in complete agreement but my heart, it was is a much different place.

Not wanting to compromise this one time, I made a bold, perhaps foolish move, and promised her that I would lose the weight she has been wanting me to lose for many years. I am now 56 and it is not so easy! But my desire to get a P85 with all the bells and whistles was just too compelling. That was in September. I thought I had plenty of time. At the end of November I was 1/2 way to the agreed upon goal and with a projected delivery of March 2013 I was ahead of schedule. Then came the option to get December delivery AND the price increase.

She agreed that it was silly to wait and be stuck with a price increase so she said go ahead and get the car. However I don't get to DRIVE the car until I lose the weight.

It was delivered today, Sunday January 6th, to a delivery party at our house with about 40 friends. We gave everyone who wanted one a ride. My wife did not care to drive. (Right now I think the car scares her.) So my 21 year old son was "called into service" to act a chauffeur.

Everyone who went came back with a big Tesla Grin. (I think he might have floored it once or twice.)

The party is over. It now sits in our garage. I sit in it and pretend. Very sad.

Brian H |
January 6, 2013

Hilarious! I foresee a fast coming your way.

Brian H |
January 6, 2013

BTW, you can have a look at the energy graph for the last 30 miles and see just how those Grins were induced!

DouglasR |
January 6, 2013

Wonderful story! Have your son drive you to the gym each morning.

lph |
January 6, 2013

Shoot, my wife has just read this and thinks it is a great idea to make me to loose weight too. This is looking like work!

Onamort |
January 6, 2013

I lost 20 lbs in 2 1/2 months and another 10 in the next 2 mo.

Atkins Diet

Onamort |
January 6, 2013

Oh by the way...... Total Cholesterol..... 257 to 130

Steven.Haver |
January 7, 2013

I'm sure you already have a plan in place and I don't mean to further derail the thread, BUT--like Brian--I foresee a fast in your future. :-) I would recommend The Green Smoothie Challenge (Maria Rippo) as a great way to stimulate your metabolism. Of all the cleanses and fasts I've seen/done, it's the most balanced, joyful, easiest to stay on, especially if you've never done something like that. You'll need a good blender (Vitamix, BlendTec, etc) and some good ingredients. Keep doing your exercise. And good luck!

If you're in the Boston area by chance, I'll give you personal support for an occasional ride in the car. :-)

Totto |
January 7, 2013

Cut the carbs, and you will be driving your wondeful car in a few weeks.

lolachampcar |
January 7, 2013

negotiate with the wife...... I'm sure there is something she wants :)

prash.saka |
January 7, 2013

+1 lolachampcar.

mclary |
January 7, 2013

I joined 24hr fitness and got a trainer! You can drive the car to the gym everyday for your trainer appointment!

You have to drive the car. If you don't drive the car you will be filled with guilt about how much money you are spending at the gas station. We all know what guilt leads to... bingeing. Bingeing on ice cream bars from the gas station mini-mart. Cheetos too. You must stay away from gas stations or it will become a vicious circle of gas guilt and chocolate Zingers.

Not only that, but there will also be this empty feeling inside if you do not drive the car due to all the the longing and pining. We fill those empty holes with comfort food. You cannot let that happen!

You must drive the car or you will gain weight. There is no other way around it.

lph |
January 7, 2013

LOL Hey, I like that argument Captain_Zap!
There is another argument.. there are no storage cubbies to hide candy in the MS.

2EV-Family |
January 7, 2013

............well, you'll perhaps enjoy my situation. When my wife and I got the email to finalize our Model S I really wanted the performance version so we came to an agreement. We would order the performance version, but in order for me to get to drive it I would have to lose some weight, 50 Lbs...........this should be sounding very familiar..........we also decided to wait for the new Sunset Red color, so I have until April/May to hit my weight target. So many similarities. I'm 55 and this was great incentive for me to lose the weight that needed to be lost. My wife however is more than happy to drive the car. My son who is 20 and has worked as a summer engineering intern for Tesla will also be more than happy to drive me around if I don't hit my weight target.

Runar |
January 8, 2013

jjs; stick to the plan, diet and run/excerise, maybe a personal trainer for a periode to really get going?

Use the car as your motivation for all its worth.
Don't fold, or beg your wife to let you off the hook.:-)

In the long run, to finally be allowed to drive the car AND be fitter.. thats a huge win-win on all accounts.

I envy you both the car, and the extra motivation to excerise.:-D

/me made my reservation early 2009, and still have 3-5 months to go before it gets to Norway. :-P

Runar |
January 8, 2013

2EV-Family, didnt read your post before posting.

Excellent that more use this as their source of motivation! :-D

Hope you reach your goal for the car.. if not, but dont worry. When the car arrives, I will guarantee you your motivation to exercise will increase ten-fold, and you'll get there in no time.;-D

Flaninacupboard |
January 8, 2013

Hah, I wish all I had to do to get to drive the car was lose 50 pounds!

cpetrush |
January 8, 2013

I laugh that you guys are all guys. It sooo wouldn't fly to tell your wife she has to lose weight before allowed to drive her new car. I know...I'm the wife.

fluxemag |
January 8, 2013

Tamper with the scale.

JMP |
January 8, 2013

Hey jjs,

I noticed that you live in Omaha as I do and have some specific questions about the tesla in omaha winter.

Do you have any concerns now after driving it here? I noticed the streets did not get plowed well in the residential areas.
Did you ever consider the other cars you could have gotten for the amount of money you paid? ie the Porsche cayenne diesel for much less

Carl Barlev |
January 8, 2013

Great story jjs!

I'm all behind Runar's suggestion too... just so long as he meant "exercise" and not "excerise" (not sure what that latter word means, but it sure sounds painful).

As for losing weight, the single best thing you can do (if you aren't already) is to reduce your consumption of fructose. And ordinary white sugar is 50% fructose - about the same as most high-fructose corn syrup. Same goes for brown sugar, except that brown sugar has a few "good" things mixed in with the poison.

So many industries profit from people continuing to hold the mislead belief that eating fat will make you fat (but nothing about sugar)... Food and beverage manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, fitness centers... etc. Perhaps that's why it's taking so long for the real facts to come out - not only is fructose much more fattening (and the kind that clogs your arteries), but it also significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Dr. Robert Lustig is a professor at the University of California and he gave a lecture back in 2009 that explains it all. The lecture has over 3 million hits on YouTube.

"Sugar: The Bitter Truth"

But you can't always just believe everything you read, hear or see, so I showed it to my parents and brother for their opinions too (they're all doctors). They were all quite shocked. Not only did they agree with his analysis and findings, but their main shock was that they'd never seen any of it at medical school.

Some might argue that not all doctors finish at the top of the class, and while that is true in my brother's case (very bright though he is), both of my parents did in fact finish at the top of their respective schools. Of course they could all still be wrong, but when it comes to choosing what to believe, I for one will certainly pick their judgement over the findings of refuting studies that have been funded by large corporations with substantial interests in maintaining the status quo!

Hmm... sorry, I think you hit a nerve there. So now you all know my other pet topic. I had a diabetes "scare" a couple of years ago and this is the result :)

olanmills |
January 8, 2013

It is a funny story, but also sad. Good luck with your goal jjs!

olanmills |
January 8, 2013

"Have your son drive you to the gym each morning."

Haha, that just sounds cruel!

Brian H |
January 8, 2013

jjs;
have your wife tie a rope to the bumper, and around your waist, and cruise the neighbourhood at 5mph for 1 hr. a day. The weight will come off fast!

Brian H |
January 8, 2013

cpe;
Yeah, that would be a fun negotiation to watch! From a safe distance.

"Does this car make me look fat?" "Yes, dear. You'll need to lose some lard before you can drive it."

portia |
January 8, 2013

great story! you do want to look good in your Tesla, don't you!? Lose the weight, you are probably less likely to have a heart attack, and can enjoy the car longer... all around a win.

Timo |
January 9, 2013

I got a fitness tip from a friend just recently that fits perfectly for person that hates boring exercises a lot (like me): every day do couple of runs/cycling/whatever for 30 seconds as fast as you can with long resting period between runs (seriously, long ones, like hour or two). For energy consumption that equals a lot longer steady and slow exercise.

Once you lose a couple of pounds you might find out actual physical exercises fun and not tiresome (when moving around is easy, you no longer avoid moving).

jjs |
January 9, 2013

To all those offering encouragement, thank you.

To all those whom are now required to lose weight, my apologies....sort of.

To all who have already lost weight, congratulations.

To all those offering advice/suggestions. Thank you and please know, my wife, a nurse, has given me very specific advice as well. Cut down on sugar, exercise, more fruits and vegetables, lay off the carbs. I miss my SUGAR, but not as much as I miss not driving the S.

Now specifically:

Brian H - Thanks for the tip on the graph to determine driving pattern. The graph looks a lot like the Alps. Not good. :)

lolachampcar - No negotiations. It's not that begging/negotiating wouldn't work. It would. It's just that I've made the promise and am bound to keep it. (Trust me, right now I hate that part of me. :) )

Captain_Zap - Too funny. I laughed and laughed and then cried. Too close to the truth as the gas station mini-mart was a direct accessory to my portly and plump predicament. Did I mention that I miss my sugar?

2EV-Family - Best of luck. My goal was only (ONLY!) 40 lbs. Start now, work fast. You just might get your car early.

JMP - Yes we are in Omaha. Can't really give you much guidance as far as winter driving goes. A) As we know I can't drive the car. B) My wife is still afraid of it. C) After reviewing the graph my son will never drive it again. :) D) I got the 21" performance tires which don't work so well in the snow. I can tell you that the one day it was driven it worked just fine. As for other cars in the same price range I never really considered them. I'm not a car guy. I, like so many others, became addicted to the new tech behind these cars. You know, "driving the future", "saving the planet", etc. If you would like to get together to discuss, see the car etc feel free to contact me. (Is there a way to send private messages in this forum?)

CarlBarlev - My wife is on your side. She has been very patient and persistent in her advice; Reduce sugar, reduce carbs.

Brian H - "tie a rope around the bumper..." O that would not turn out well at all! I seriously doubt she would keep it any where near 5 mph! :)

Since getting the car I have lost 5 lbs. 12 to go.

zwjohnston7 |
January 9, 2013

I hope you get to drive it soon, I kind of want to see it driving around town (I haven't seen the car yet and won't get mine until the summer probably) as I am in Omaha as well.

GLO |
January 9, 2013

How's the diet going? Keep it up as it's worth the effort (though I doubt you'll make that kind of deal with your wife again!):)

prash.saka |
January 9, 2013

@jjs, good luck.
@fluxemag, funny :)

JMP |
January 10, 2013

jjs,

I just found that if you register your Id into "teslamotorsclub.com"
there is a private messaging option.

I just registered myself with the same ID and tried to send you a private message but didn't work as I assume you are not registered.

If you would like to communicate privately, please register there so that I can send you a private communication.

I'm hoping you get to drive your model s so that I can see it on the streets.